Various types of article handling devices are used for handling articles on automated handling lines, such a rotary conveyor devices, linear conveyor devices, and so forth. On an automated handling line that involves filling bottles with liquids, for example, rotary devices may include fillers, cappers, labelers, and star wheel conveyors. Often such rotary devices will be provided with their own drive motor, such as a servo motor, for rotating the rotary device.
It may be necessary for automated handling lines to process articles such as containers of varying shapes and sizes. This has, however, created challenges for article handling devices. For example, in the case of many current star wheels, each star wheel can only handle containers of a specific shape and size, so this requires changing the star wheel plates or disks each time a different container is introduced onto the handling line. This is undesirable as it is both time consuming and necessitates having to keep a stock of different-sized star wheel plates.
Additionally, star wheels and other rotary-type conveyors often utilize a guide rail assembly that is radially spaced from the outer periphery. These guide rail assemblies serve to maintain the radial position of the container when it is engaged with the star wheel by a frictional engagement between the container and the guide rail assembly. This frictional engagement may be undesirable, as the container may be scuffed as it slides along the rail assembly, or labeling/printing on the outside of the container may be rubbed, abraded, or otherwise damaged.
Thus, it would be advantageous to provide for an improved article handling device for automated article handling. In particular, it is desirable to provide an article handling device that can readily handle articles having many different sizes and configurations and is less expensive to manufacture and/or operate than star wheels with multiple change parts. Additionally, it is desirable to provide for article handling devices that maintain the radial position of articles relative to the article handling device without excessive scuffing or rubbing of the outer surface of the articles.